Tuesday, January 31, 2017

I used a Simon Says DieNamics Die cut rectangular cut out of a 6 x 6 DP Heidi Swapp block for the base. I added a circle punched out of cardstock with this sentiment from Your Next Stamp. For my embellishments I simply punched tiny hearts from heavy glitter cardstock.

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I get pleasure out of leaving little tidbits after my posts so today I’m sharing a hint I stumbled across by accident. I have been wearing a glittery nailpolish for a while but it was at the stage where it was beginning to flake off and snag on everything so it had to come off before I got really annoyed. I, unfortunately, have a problem with the feel of cotton or cotton balls. Makes me all squeamish and when it crunches I literally flinch. You know, the feeling like some folk get when they hear nails going down a chalkboard. Anyways, for lack of something sturdier than paper towels,I hit upon the thought I might try a used dryer sheet and goodness gracious it works like a charm!

Saturday, January 28, 2017

This Crate Paper caught my eye right away and I snipped it up in mere seconds. I cut it with a Simon Says DieNamics stitched rectangular die into and then sheared it off angle ways. I chose to use the bird as a focal point toward the bottom but use punched out hearts from the same paper as the bit that draws the eye up to the sentiment. I used my go-to teeny tiny My Favorite Things stamp to say Happy Birthday and, after bumping a few of the hearts up, added some tiny hand drawn dashes up to the hearts.

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The work of art is above all a process of creation,

it is never experienced as a mere product.

- Paul Khee

This quote struck me. I believe it is what binds us all togehter. I used to do a lot of “fine art” and when my sister Nina introduced me to making cards, I had a real wrestle in my mind to think of it as anything but a tiddly hobby. I loved it, but I felt that it did not have any value for my time – not compared to a painting which might hang for years and generations… However, I’ve come to be humbled by what creating (especially online with Nina and my Sister in Law Judy). The opportunity to all create together is priceless. The cards are hugely fun to make and honestly, I have to tell you that the work I see all you card-makers do out there, well you are fine artists in my opinion. I’ve seen so many of you push creativity to the enth degree! I see you using mixed medias and making cards that could and should be hung and framed.

But most of all, I’ve seen the absolute joy when someone I’ve gifted a simple card to can bring. I can’t tell you how many times a card has touched someone’s heart. How many times someone has let me know that my little card was just the thing someone needed at that exact time. I am so very thankful today for this community of artists (yeah, YOU!) Have a happy and creative weekend!

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Congrats to MUSE on their 200th Challenge! What a milestone! Here’s the “muse” we are asked to model our card after:

this card was created by Jenni Murrayand I couldn’t think of straying very far from her beautiful example so I just went with it in all it’s glory, adding a few personal touches.

I used a slice of 6 x 6 from a block, the designer is 1/2 wiped out by the sticky tape and it lifted off though I see the word “HADFEILD” and I think it says “HOME-MADE” for the name of it. The stamp is by Bo Bunny and the Floral is by Prima. The leaves though, that’s something all of my own, a little cheat of sorts…

When I’m at the thrift stores or dollar stores, I pick up silk flowers and leaves, then I simply either use them ‘as is’ or I trim them with scissors. They look so much more real than paper and sometimes there is wire inside them and so they bend and fold to look very natural.

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Why not light up someone’s day today? Why not – it’s free to give and yet it can start a domino of smiles…

Monday, January 23, 2017

I had such a sweet time making this card. I saw this challenge for Seize the Birthday for January 19th and decided it would be amusing to try this one with some stamps I had in mind.

The Seize the Birthday challenge calls either to make this a simple birthday card and/or make it one including Doodles or Dashes – I chose to hit it on both points!

I chose the base to include lots of white space by embossing a slab of white columns cardstock using a Cricut Cuttlebug Chicken Wire embossing folder. (I thought the shapes suggested beehive hexagons) I then stampedall the senitments on – the “buzzing by to say” and the hexagons and the bee and doodles are all from Honey Bee Stamps (oh how I LOOOOOVE my HB Stamps!!!) Used bright yellow cardstock for more “hive” which I fussy-cut and bumped out with foam tape. I shaded each segment using my tombow markers using a graduated wash of deep burgundy. I matched up a bright yellow tombow to accent the bee then after everything was placed I used Diamond Glaze to adde dimension to the hive and bee.

The Happy Birthday sentiment is a Studio G.

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I want to share with you a thought that if where you are, like where I am, is the dullest, darkest time of the year, know there are snowdrops waiting just under the snow, even though you can’t see them. Take advantage of this time to tackle some projects about the house indoors. Read books, burn a candle, have warm baths. Don’t let the gloom get ahold on you. You can’t change the weather but you can think sunny!

Sunday, January 22, 2017

I feel like I finally hit my creative stride again – YAY! This first card (and opportunity to craft time online with my sister Nina and sister in law Judy in 2017. I chose to make a card for the Case This SketchJanuary 19th challenge

I felt a deep satisfaction as this card almost built itself, layer upon layer. You know how it is when you’ve not had a chance to do something for a bit – you are fearful you’ll forget! I used:

I let the paper do much of the work and as focal point of the facade. I simply traced some of the blossoms using a super fine ink pen and then added subtle glitter using Wink of Stella.

This has been a long, chilly winter until now, with the lake frozen over. My husband watched some coyotes navigate the icy shore yesterday morning. The temperatures have been sub-zero quite a bit, however, the past few days have been very soggy. Rain, snow, rain snowrainsnow. The ice is melting and unreliable. The rural driveways a soggy slick mess. The skies an unchanging dull steel gray with heavy clouds pressing us into the valley. Thankfully the weather is said to take a somewhat more cheerful change this week. I’ll keep you posted!

Thank you for dropping in today – here’s something to ponder before you go. Even when it seems the darkest, light a candle and know its only temporary…

Sunday, January 08, 2017

I’m basing this card on this week’s CAS on Sunday #99 Challenge – this week’s recipe being “Black and White with one color of your choice”

I used this Christmas Stamp from Recollections, but colored the bow in a pretty pink. I wanted it to be a birthday theme, for a female so I simply chose a lovely fuschia instead of red. I stamped the sentiment in the coordinating black and pink. The black ink is versafine onyx. I received a set of stitched dies as a gift and this was the perfect way to use it for the first time! They came from Simon Says Stamp.

I can’t believe it’s been a month since I blogged last. My big beautiful life keeps me too pooped to blog of late but I’m hoping to remedy that in the coming months.